Gutenberg an der Presse

Gutenberg an der Presse is a public statue in Mainz, created by German sculptor Karlheinz Oswald. It honours Johannes Gutenberg and his place in printing history. The work connects Mainz with the inventor of the movable-type printing press, a fifteenth-century development that changed information sharing. The city was Gutenberg’s birthplace, connecting the statue to Mainz’s history. Oswald was born in Worms in 1958 and studied at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz before developing a career in sculpture. His work includes portraits and cast iron sculptures. These works often appear in public spaces and focus on the human form, giving his practice a clear connection with people and place. He also created sculptures of dancers. Their dynamic and graceful forms show another side of Oswald’s interest in movement, alongside the statue’s focus on Gutenberg and the press. The statue belongs to Oswald’s public artworks. Its subject brings a local name into a wider story about how printed information changed the world. In Mainz, art and printing history meet. The title places Gutenberg beside the press that shaped his enduring historical importance.